Xwarṣa
General information Xwarṣa is an extinct language :( As for the external history and language intent, Xwarṣa is a speedlang influenced by hBaṣvî (another Persiform conlang). Phonology Consonants /p b t d ʈ ɖ k g q/ /s z θ ð ʂ ʐ x ħ/ /m n ɳ ŋ/ /v r (l) j w/ Additionally, the clusters /θt ðd/ behave as one consonant. The plosive pairs denoted by /pb td/ et cetera do not seem to actually have any contrastive voicing as is distinct from both and ; the same applies to all other plosives. The fricative pairs /sz θð/ et cetera, on the other had, do seem to have voicing as assimilates to (regressive voicing assimilation is present) Vowels /a ɒ e ə i o u/ /ɑ̃ ɛ̃ ɔ̃ ũ/ <ą ą̂ ę ǫ ǫ̂ ų ų̂> Circumflexes denote long vowels, ogoneks nasal ones. Vowel Lengthening All final vowels lengthen: Grammar Xwarṣa is an ergative-absolutive language. Nouns Nouns in Xwarṣa inflect for several categories: # Number # Case # Definiteness # Noun class # Possession Xwarṣa nouns can be singular ( ), dual ( ) and plural ( ). They can be either definite ( ) or indefinite ( ). They can either belong to the class of edible objects ( ) or inedible objects ( ). They can inflect for one of eight cases: #'Absolutive' ( ) #'Ergative' ( ) #'Dative' ( ) #'Vocative' ( ) #'Instrumental' ( ) #'Vialis' ( ) #'Malefactive' ( ) #'Possessed' ( ) Xwarṣa nouns inflect for the person of an object in their possession, which then takes the possessive case. They can inflect for three persons, with additional variations: #'First' person ## Singular (1 ) ## Dual ### Inclusive (1 ) ### Exclusive (1 ) ## Plural ### Inclusive (1 ) ### Exclusive (1 ) #'Second' person ## Singular (2 ) ## Dual (2 ) ## Plural (2 ) #'Third' person ##'Proximate' ### Singular ( ) ### Dual ( ) ### Plural ( ) ##'Obviate' ### Singular ( ) ### Dual ( ) ### Plural ( ) A Xwarṣa noun looks like this: The root is the bare morphosemantical unit that makes up the word, stripped of all inflections and derivations. Derivational suffixes are added onto the root to form the basic stem. Adding a possession suffix onto the basic stem makes an extended stem. This extended stem receives inflection and becomes a full noun. Verbs Verbs in Xwarṣa inflect for several categories: #Person #Number #Tense #Polarity #Aspect #Mood Xwarṣa verbs inflect for the person and number of its absolutive argument, which are conflated as such: #'First' person ## Singular (1 ) ## Dual ### Inclusive (1 ) ### Exclusive (1 ) ## Plural ### Inclusive (1 ) ### Exclusive (1 ) #'Second' person ## Singular (2 ) ## Dual (2 ) ## Plural (2 ) #'Third' person ##'Proximate' ### Singular ( ) ### Dual ( ) ### Plural ( ) ##'Obviate' ### Singular ( ) ### Dual ( ) ### Plural ( ) /* The keen observer will notice that this layout is identical to the possession one */ Syntax Vocabulary Example text Category:Languages Category:August Challenge